From Passion To Profession

Fourity’s newest intern, Darko Svilar, is someone who got into IT early. After he finished elementary school, Darko enrolled in the IT department at a technical middle school. There, he built a good foundation, which he took to another level in college.

So, it is not surprising that Darko came to our office with impressive theoretical knowledge. He is now rapidly gaining experience in the real-world industry.

Our dear colleague talked with us about his educational background, why he prefers backend to frontend development, and the influence his mentor, Marko, has on him.

You finished middle school and high school education in software engineering. What drew you to it?

From a young age, I was exposed to electronic devices. That is why I got my first computer relatively early. So, the time I spent using it enhanced my skills in working with hardware and software. That is why I decided to enroll in the IT department in middle school. Everything afterwards was a natural continuation.

During your education, which lessons and experiences were most useful to you for what you are doing now?

For me, the most important lessons were related to the basics of working in software engineering. When it comes to experiences, the most useful was working in a team while I was studying. We covered all the pros and cons that teamwork offers. Everything else I deem useful, I learned by following my own interests and building on the aforementioned basics.

You prefer backend development over frontend; why?

Yes, I prefer backend because I believe there are more opportunities for engineering challenges. For instance, algorithm optimization considering time and memory complexity. So, I am drawn to problems where a developer needs to use the available resources so that a job can be done optimally.

Working with compilers is something you enjoy. Why do you find them so interesting?

The reason I like compilers is similar to the reasons I enjoy backend. For them, it is also crucial that they do their job of translating code optimally. Compiler development is closely related to metaprogramming, meaning programming that handles data that consists of other programs. The fact that compilers are programs that work with other programs is what is interesting to me. They serve them.

How do you think Artificial Intelligence (AI) affects software engineering? How has it changed the way you work?

I think that AI has brought many positive but also negative changes to the field of software development. It allows us to collect a huge amount of information in one place. For example, it can access a huge amount of documentation, evaluate it, and present certain parts in a manner that is easy to understand. It can be an extremely useful tool if it is used responsibly. However, if it is used as a shortcut towards the end goal, without insight into how it got there, it can cause many problems because it is not perfect.

How does your mentor Marko help you gain more knowledge and experience?

In my opinion, Marko is a very skilled engineer who has acquired a lot of experience working with people, with other engineers and clients alike. The most valuable feedback he gives me is how clients would react while using the product we work on. Sometimes changes are mandatory because I am not aware of how they see it, so the interaction wouldn’t go as I expected. So, it would most likely go negatively. Marko is aware of that upfront because of the fact that he has worked a lot on products that clients use. So, I am sure he was often in similar situations as I am.

How would you describe your experience at Fourity until now?

The environment at Fourity has been very pleasant. Colleagues are open to conversation, and the atmosphere is suitable for work, but for relaxing breaks as well. Alongside my experience on the internship project with Marko, I would say this is a very positive adventure.